


Righteous Indignation

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-01-14
Updated: 2001-01-14
Packaged: 2019-05-15 23:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "Oh, hell, Leo. Tad Whitney called CJ a bitch and she decked him in the center of a crowded restaurant, in the middle of DC."





	Righteous Indignation

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Disclaimers: They're not mine. Sometimes I ask them out to play, but they go home with Mr. Sorkin, et. al.  
Spoilers: A little Galileo.  
Archive: Sure, let me know where and keep my name attached.  
Author's Note: Stacy'll be home soon and I'll have to stop blaming her in every post.

Summary: "Oh, hell, Leo. Tad Whitney called CJ a bitch and she decked him in the center of a crowded restaurant, in the middle of DC..." (Sequel to Provoked.)

Righteous Indignation (1/1)

"Damn!" CJ said, shaking her hand. "That hurts."

A waiter was helping Tad Whitney stand.

"Come on." Toby draped her coat around her shoulders. He'd gotten it from the coat check when he'd heard Whitney's voice. He was just calling Josh when he saw CJ pop Whitney across the jaw. "We're getting out of here." He dropped some bills on the table and handed CJ her purse. "Now, please?" He took her elbow and pulled her through the restaurant.

"Gee, Toby, if you thought my morning was difficult, wait 'til you see my afternoon," she tried to joke on the ride back to the White House.

"This is just great," he rumbled. "Fantastic." 

He was still mumbling to himself when they entered the West Wing. "Carol!" he yelled as they approached CJ's office, causing her assistant to jump.

"Toby don't yell at her," CJ said.

Toby controlled his voice. "Carol, I need you to get two things. An ice pack and Leo." He propelled CJ into her office. "Those are the only two things getting in this office. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." She scurried away from her desk.

CJ slouched in the corner of her couch with her eyes closed and head back, trying to ignore Toby while he paced.

"I was driven to violence," she said. "I cannot believe I let that weasel drive me to violence."

"You let him bait you."

"Thank you. That makes me feel better," she said sarcastically.

"Take your coat off." She obeyed. "Let me see your hand." He held it in his for inspection.

"It hurts."

"Yeah, well, that'll teach you to impact it on an object as hard as a human jaw." Her knuckles were red. "Where's Carol and that damn ice?"

There was a knock and Leo entered the office. "Why did Carol insist I bring this in?" He held out the cold pack from a first aid kit. "What's going on?" he asked suspiciously, his gaze locked on Toby and CJ's hands as Toby carefully laid the pack against CJ's knuckles. She flinched, but only slightly. Leo shut the door. "Somebody better start spilling soon, because I don't think I'm going to like this."

"Leo, do you know Tad Whitney?" CJ asked.

He nodded slightly. "One of the guys you interviewed from State, right? You promoted Simon."

"Right. Well...Um...That is..."

"You do realize you speak for a living, CJ," Leo said. "Tell me what the *hell* is going on here. I have a country to help run."

"Okay. Well, what you don't know is that five years ago, Tad and I were involved for a very brief period of time."

"CJ..."

"I ran in to him last night. He implied that the reason he didn't get the job is that I harbor some ill will towards him for dumping me." She paused and squinted. "Which now that I think of it, I don't know if he did. I think maybe I stopped returning his calls."

There was a knock on the door and Josh stuck his head in. "CJ?"

"Not now," all three said in unison. He quickly closed the door.

"Anyway?" Leo prompted.

"I'm assuming you've heard I'm good in bed?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

She failed.

"The president," he said, his face seemingly stuck in a permanent cringe. "CJ, you've got to start going faster here. Just tell me what happened."

"Oh, hell, Leo. Tad Whitney called CJ a bitch and she decked him in the center of a crowded restaurant, in the middle of DC," Toby provided.

"You what?"

"At this time I would like to point out that I did *not* hit him when he said I slept my way in to my job."

"He what?"

"I missed that," Toby said.

"Okay, he--what?--thinks that was going to get him a job in this administration how?" Leo asked. "Any press there?"

"I don't know," CJ said. "I hadn't looked around, and then Toby got me out of there pretty quickly."

"Well thank God for small favors. I'm calling someone at State. Next briefing's in two hours. If anything surfaces before then, you're not doing it. Sam will."

"Okay," she agreed.

"I suppose it could be worse. At least Toby didn't ride in on a white steed and defend your honor. Although that might have been easier to sell." Leo shook his head. "Don't go anywhere. Just stay here until I come back." He left.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I stopped returning *his* calls," CJ said.

"Feeling less like a victim, now?" Toby asked.

"I've settled on righteous indignation."

"Whatever it takes to get you through the nights." Toby moved to lean on her desk. "Josh is pacing outside the door," he informed her. "Josh!"

"Can I come in now?" Josh asked from the doorway. "Is the club meeting over?"

"If you come in you can't leave until Leo gets back," CJ said.

He stepped in. "What'd you do? Go three rounds at lunch?"

"It was a knockout in the first round, actually," CJ said and couldn't help but smile a little.

"Okay, I'm confused."

"Tad Whitney called CJ a bitch and she decked him," Toby said.

"You know, Toby, I'm really thinking we could put a better spin on it than that," CJ said.

He began to pace again. "Oh, you *want* me to include the part about *sleeping* your way to the top?" He stopped and stared at CJ. She stared right back.

"Guys, I think I'll leave," Josh said.

"Sit down, Josh." Toby never took his eyes from CJ. "You're not leaving until Leo returns."

Now it was Josh's turn to slouch in a corner of the couch looking miserable.

Toby let out a long breath. "I feel compelled to say that I would have," he said quietly.

"Excuse me?" CJ asked.

"If he'd called you...that in front of me, I would have decked him myself," Toby said.

"Misplaced chivalry," CJ said. "Josh, are you moaning?"

"Please don't make me sit through this," Josh begged. "Let me leave. I'll be good."

CJ looked at Toby, who--she thought--might be blushing. "We'll just all be quiet."

The minutes dragged until Leo's return. "Josh, what are you doing here?"

"He wanted to be included," Toby said with a shrug. "We're including him."

"I'm being held hostage," Josh said. "They let me in and told me what happened. Now they won't let me out."

"Yeah, well, you can leave now, Josh," Leo said. Josh jumped up and headed for the door. "Not a word Josh. No one. Not even Sam or Donna. Not yet."

"Whatever."

"And close the door." He waited for Josh to make his escape. "Okay, I've talked to State. Whitney's not going to lose his job, but he's going to find himself buried. He will *not* be pressing charges or commenting publicly on the incident."

"How'd you do that?" she asked.

"I'm a very powerful man," Leo said with a smile. "I saved your butt today, kiddo. It's still not necessarily over, but at least Whitney won't be saying anything. Now all we have to worry about is whoever was in the restaurant."

"It was a little late for lunch and way too early for dinner," Toby said.

"Still..."

-END-


End file.
